December 25 is a normal working day in Egypt, the weather is at its coolest, and both holidays fall on a Friday this season. Here is how to plan a Christmas or New Year trip from the USA.
Yes, Christmas and New Year are a good time to visit Egypt. It is the coolest part of the year, with December highs averaging 69°F in Cairo and 76°F in Luxor and Aswan. One thing surprises many Americans: Egypt's public Christmas holiday is January 7, the Coptic Orthodox date. December 25 is an ordinary working day, so sites keep their normal hours.
Key Takeaways
- Christmas Day 2026 and New Year's Day 2027 both fall on a Friday. If your winter break starts on Saturday, December 19, a seven-day trip covers either holiday.
- Egypt celebrates Christmas on January 7. December 25 is a normal day, and the temples and museums open as usual.
- The nights are cold in the south. Luxor averages 46°F at night in December and 43°F in January, which matters if you book a sunrise balloon flight.
- The sun sets at about 5:00 pm in Cairo on Christmas Day. Luxor Temple is the exception to early closing: its last entry in winter is 7:00 pm.
- There are three trips built around these dates: 7 days from $1,538, 10 days with Siwa Oasis from $2,936, and 13 days with Jordan from $3,750 per person.
Christmas in Egypt: what is different
Most of Egypt's Christians belong to the Coptic Orthodox Church, which keeps Christmas on January 7. That is December 25 in the older Julian calendar. January 7 is a national public holiday in Egypt, and the main church services are held on the night of January 6.
For a traveler arriving for December 25, this works in your favor. It is a normal working day, and nothing closes. You will not see Christmas the way you would at home, but you will spend the day in some of the oldest places on earth. There is more on how Egyptians celebrate in our guide to Egypt's holidays and traditions.
If Christmas matters to you as a religious holiday, spend a day in Coptic Cairo. The district holds the Hanging Church, the Church of St. George and the Cavern Church (Abu Serga), which by tradition stands where the Holy Family sheltered during their flight into Egypt.
What the weather is like
| Average high / low | December | January |
|---|---|---|
| Cairo | 69°F / 52°F | 66°F / 49°F |
| Luxor | 76°F / 46°F | 73°F / 43°F |
| Aswan | 76°F / 52°F | 73°F / 48°F |
| Hurghada (Red Sea) | 74°F / 55°F | 71°F / 52°F |
These are long-term monthly averages from the World Meteorological Organization, supplied by Egypt's national weather service.
The days are ideal for walking temples, but the gap between day and night is wide, especially in Luxor. Expect a T-shirt at noon and a jacket at 6 am. Our guide to what to wear in Egypt covers the layers.
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The three holiday trips compared
| 7-Day Christmas Tour | 10-Day Christmas Package | 13-Day Egypt & Jordan New Year | |
|---|---|---|---|
| From | $1,538 per person | $2,936 per person | $3,750 per person |
| Route | Cairo and Giza, then a flight to Aswan and a Nile cruise to Luxor | The same Nile route, plus a day in Old Cairo's churches and two nights in Siwa Oasis | The same Nile route in 7 days, then 6 days in Jordan: Jerash, Petra, Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea |
| Main sites | Abu Simbel, Philae, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Karnak, Luxor Temple, the Valley of the Kings | The same sites, plus a 4×4 desert safari and the salt lakes at Siwa | The same Egypt sites, plus a full day at Petra |
| Good to know | The shortest of the three: Cairo, Aswan and Luxor in one week | Siwa is reached by overnight bus from Cairo, both ways | Ends in Amman. The Jordan Pass is not included and must be bought separately |
| See the trip | 7-Day Christmas Tour | 10-Day Christmas Package | 13-Day Egypt & Jordan |
The 7-day and 10-day prices do not include international flights from the US. None of the three includes tips for guides, drivers and cruise staff, and the sunrise balloon over Luxor is an optional extra on all three.
If you are weighing up the Jordan add-on, we explain how to split the days between Egypt and Jordan.
How the 2026–27 dates line up
Each plan below assumes an overnight flight out of the US, landing in Egypt the next day.
| Plan | Fly out of the US | Where you are on the holiday | Last day in Egypt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas, 7 days | Sat Dec 19 | Christmas Eve at Abu Simbel and Kom Ombo. Christmas Day at Edfu, then Karnak and Luxor Temple | Sat Dec 26 |
| Christmas in Coptic Cairo, 10 days | Fri Dec 18 | Christmas Day in Old Cairo: the Hanging Church, St. George and the Citadel | Mon Dec 28 |
| New Year, 7 days | Sat Dec 26 | New Year's Eve on the Nile cruise, sailing from Kom Ombo to Edfu. New Year's Day in Luxor | Sat Jan 2 |
| Whole break, 13 days | Sat Dec 19 | Christmas Day at Edfu, then Karnak and Luxor Temple. New Year's Eve after a day at the Dead Sea, back in Amman for the night | Fri Jan 1 (from Amman) |
The 7-day trips end with a flight from Luxor to Cairo that connects to your international flight the same day. If your flight home leaves the next morning, a night in Cairo can be added. Flying west, you gain seven hours, so a morning flight still lands in the US the same day.
Before you book
Book early if your dates cannot move. The two weeks around Christmas and New Year are among the busiest of the year for flights out of the US. Book those first, then the trip.
Plan each day around the daylight. In late December the sun sets at about 5:00 pm in Cairo and 5:05 pm in Luxor. The last entry to the Giza Plateau, Karnak Temple and the Valley of the Kings is 4:00 pm in winter. Two places stay open late:
- Luxor Temple: last entry 7:00 pm, and it is lit after dark.
- The Grand Egyptian Museum: its galleries stay open until 9:00 pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays, with last entry at 8:00 pm.
Get the visa before you fly. US citizens need a tourist visa for Egypt, and it can be bought online in advance. See our Egypt visa guide.
Staying into January? Coptic Christmas on January 7 is a public holiday in Egypt. If your dates are flexible, our guide to the best time to visit Egypt compares the whole year.
Where to start
If you have one week, choose the 7-day tour and decide whether you want to be away for Christmas or for New Year. If you have the whole school break, the 13-day trip with Jordan uses almost all of it.
Send us your exact flight dates, and we will tell you where you will be on each day of the holidays before you book anything.
